For many years, the electrical cable industry has had the benefit of cable ties to encircle and ensnare groupings of conductors. Applicant's U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,022,557 and 3,047,945, now expired, respectively show examples of cable ties and tensioning apparatus for use in assembling cable ties and conductor groupings. As shown in these patents, cable ties are typically molded plastic members having a head portion and a tail portion extending from the head portion to a free end. The head portion typically includes a pawl member extending into a tail portion passage extending fully through the head portion. The tail portion is routed about the conductors to be ensnared and has serrations on one or both outer surfaces thereof designed to pass by the pawl member under the pulling pressure of a person or a pulling tool, the pawl retentively engaging the serrations to form a cable tie loop tightly encircling the conductors.
Where it is desired to mount a cable tie to a mounting panel, use is sometimes made of a so-called “mounting head tie”, such as are available from Thomas & Betts Corporation under the trademark “Catamount”. This cable tie is formed as above described, but further includes a mounting head integrally formed with the tie proper adjacent the tie head portion and defining a circular hole. Use of mounting head ties entails need for a stove bolt and nut, a flat washer and a lock washer. The stove bolt is inserted through the mounting head hole and the flat washer and lock washer are then applied to the bolt and the bolt is then inserted through an opening in a mounting panel. The bolt is then threaded into the nut and tightened.
An alternative to the foregoing apparatus is seen in a “Single-Bundle Mounting Base”, also available from Thomas & Betts Corporation under the registered trademark “Ty-Rap”. This device is an elongate nylon base, having end openings for receiving screws for mounting the base to a mounting panel and further openings intermediate the end openings. The end of a cable tie opposite the head portion is passed successively through the intermediate openings and the mounting screws are then applied to the base and threaded into openings in the mounting panel. Conductors are now applied to the cable tie and the tie is tightened about the conductors.
From applicant's perspective, use of the mounting head tie or the single-bundle mounting base is costly, labor intensive and inefficient in weight sensitive environments, such as aircraft, where lessening of the securement device weight converts into fuel saving, shortened take-off distances and extended flight mileage.
Lessened cost, labor intensity and weight than provided by the mounting apparatus above described is available, e.g., through the use of so-called “Push Mount Cable Ties” also sold by Thomas and Betts Corporation under the aforesaid Catamount trademark. This device includes an arrowed structure adjacent the cable tie head portion and formed integrally therewith. The arrowed structure is inserted into an opening in the mounting panel and the wings of the arrow spread apart, securing the cable tie to the mounting panel. From applicant's perspective, such alternative does not provide desired mounting securement strength.